Another day, another stimulus program rollout. Today it's $2 billion for Justice Assistance Grants (JAG). Washington's share is $36.7 million, which will be split 60-40 between state and local governments.

The list of eligible programs is wide-ranging: "hiring and support for law enforcement officers; multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces; crime prevention and domestic violence programs; and courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives," according to the press release.

The local money is being divvied up using a formula based on population and violent crime statistics. This seems to help the City of Tacoma, which is eligible for nearly $1.4 million. Meanwhile, Pierce County gets about half that. If it were based only on short-term need, you could argue that the county, which is having a budget crisis and runs the jail, sheriff's patrols and part of the court system ought to have a bigger share. Tacoma is one of the few local governments that seems to be weathering the economic storm.

Here are the eligibility numbers for local jurisdictions.

TACOMA CITY	       $1,394,464
PIERCE COUNTY	         $773,319
LAKEWOOD CITY	         $340,124
FEDERAL WAY CITY	 $211,276
AUBURN CITY	         $185,913
PUYALLUP CITY	          $83,106
UNIVERSITY PLACE CITY	  $63,179
SUMNER CITY	          $32,835
FIFE CITY	          $27,853
BONNEY LAKE CITY	  $26,268
EDGEWOOD CITY	          $12,228
GIG HARBOR CITY	          $11,322
FIRCREST CITY	          $10,643
YELM CITY	          $10,190
	
Local statewide total $14,304,690
	
State of Washington   $22,401,901

Total for Washington  $36,706,591

Click here to see the entire spreadsheet for the state.

We're working on a story for tomorrow's paper. Key questions:

[More:]

• Is the allocation fair - is the money going where it's needed?

• How might the money be used? How will they decide how to use the money?

• Will the programs they fund be sustainable? (In other words, what happens when the federal money dries up?)

Here is the press release:

PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCES RECOVERY ACT ALLOCATIONS FOR WASHINGTON LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE

COLUMBUS, OHIO – President Barack Obama today announced $2 billion in Recovery Act 2009 funding allocations for state and local law enforcement assistance available through the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, including over $36.7 million for the state of Washington. The JAG Program supports a variety of efforts such as hiring and support for law enforcement officers; multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces; crime prevention and domestic violence programs; and courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. The breakdown of JAG allocation amounts for Washington state and local governments can be viewed here: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/recoveryJAG/recjag/WA.xls

“These funds are a vital component in our effort to not just revive our economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity and security,” President Obama said. “By keeping police officers on the streets whose jobs were threatened by budget cuts and ensuring states and municipalities have the tools and equipment necessary to fight crime, this money will simultaneously help jumpstart the American economy and protect our citizens.”

The procedure for allocating JAG grants is based on a formula of population and violent crime statistics, in combination with a minimum allocation to ensure that each state and territory receives an appropriate share of funding. Sixty percent of the allocation is awarded directly to a state and 40 percent is set aside for units of local governments. Funding will be used by states and more than 5000 local communities to enhance their ability to protect communities and combat crime.

The Recovery Act includes more than $4 billion to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement and for other criminal and juvenile justice activities that help to prevent crime and improve the criminal justice system in the United States while supporting the creation of jobs and much needed resources for states and local communities.